Method of producing yarn



Filed'Oct. 3'. 1946 fl- 1950 H. VON KOHORN 2,517,946

METHOD OF PRODUCING I 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A T Tom/E YS Aug. 8, 1950- v Filed 00;- 3, 1946 FIG 2 H. VON KOHORN METHOD OF PRODUCING YARN INVENTQOR HENRY- vqu mono:

' 'w ww ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF PRODUCING YARN Henry Von Kohorn, Westchester County, N. Y.

Application October 3, 1946, Serial No. 700,908

a spun type yarn and the product resulting therefrom.

In accordance with the general method now employed in the manufacture of spun rayon yarn, the staple fibers are produced in a random mixed condition, and must be subjected to nu-' merous carding, combing and drawing operations before they can be spun into a suitable yarn. The above method is highly ineflicient since the rayon is originally formed as continuous parallel filaments. Somewhere inthe process these filaments are cut and their condition of parallelism destroyed, therefore necessitating subjecting the staple fibers to carding and combing operations to re-orient them to their original parallel condition so that they may be suitably drawn and spun into a desirable yarn. There have been many method proposed, designed to obviate the disturbance of the original condition of parallelism of the filaments, and consequently the carding and combing operations, but these methods, commonly referred to as tow-to-top methods, possess many shortcomings.

An example of one of these proposed meth includes subjecting a tow of continuous filaments to the breaking action of two pair of dif-f ferentially driven drawing rollers and the sub- 1 sequent drawing and twisting of the broken filaments into a spun yarn of the desired thickness.

It has also been proposed to stapilize threads of continuou filaments by inflicting shallow closely spaced cuts to the thread by means of knives or abrasives. It has also been proposed to form filaments with weakened spots in them spaced equally along their length by pulsating the spinning pump which forces the spinning solution through the jets.

The rayon yarn or thread produced by any of the hitherto known methods results in a product possessing the undesirable features characterizing most spun rayon yarns.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved thread or yarn.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel improved yarn possessing the desirable characteristics of a continuous filament yarn and a staple fiber yarn.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fuzzy type of yarn of a greater strength than ordinary corresponding yarns.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method for producing stapilized yarn.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for producing an improved yarn which method is simple and inexpensive.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the 10. following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus with which the present improved method may be practiced and Fig. 2 illustrates another apparatus wherein another embodiment of the 18 present invention may be practiced.

The present invention contemplates the combining of two or more threads or bundles, at least one of the threads or bundles containing continuous filaments. The composite bundle is then subjected to a predetermined elongation sufilcient to break a fixed fraction of the continuous filaments. The bundle may thereafter be twisted and coned. As a more specific example and as one embodiment, a composite bundle of filaments of different breaking point elongations is formed and the bundle is subjected to the continuous fixed elongation effected between two pairs of difierentially driven drawing rollers. The speeds of the rollers are so adjusted that filaments having the lower breaking points or stretching capacity will be ruptured while the filaments having the higher breaking points will maintain their continuity. A twist is'thereafter imparted to the composite bundle. As willhereinafter be set forth, many novel yarns having predetermined characteristics may be produced by selecting the types of filaments and threads forming the yarn. The filaments or threads may have different dyeing characteristics and a highly desirable novel yarn may be produced wherein one of the threads initially forming the bundle i a spun yarn, consisting of natural or artificial fibers.

A a modification of the-above method, the separate bundles which will form part of the final yarn may be subjected to the action of the drawing rollers as discrete bundles and thereafter combined and twisted to form a novel yarn.

Reference is now made to the drawing and more particularly Figure 1 thereof wherein I and 2 designate a first or upper pair of drawing rollers, 3 and 4 a second or intermediate pair of drawing rollers, and 5 and 6 a lower or third pair of drawing rollers. Each pair of rollers is it positively driven at a predetermined speed by any till well-known means, thesecond or intermediate pair of rollers 3 and 4 being driven at a greater peripheral speed than the first or upper pair of drawing rollers I and 2, and the lower pair of drawing rollers 5 and 6 being driven at a peripheral speed less than that of the intermediate rollers 3 and 4 and substantially equal to or slightly greater than the peripheral speed of the upper rollers l and 2. Each set of rollers have here been shown diagrammatically, and they may assume any form or arrangement known to those skilled in the art.

Disposed below the lower set of rollers 5 and 8 is a spinning device I which includes an upper thread guide 8 and a traversing guide 3. A suit ably driven spindle II has mounted thereon a wound. By employing the above method, a yarn cone or the like upon which the final yarn may be wound. 1

In accordance with the present method, two bundles of threads or groups of filaments l3 and I4, at least one of which bundles is: formed of continuous filaments, are combined in any wellknown manner and fed to the upper pair of rollers I and 2. The filaments forming each of the groups I3 and I4 differ in at least one characteristic so that the composite bundle it which emerges from the rollers l and 2 consists of a plurality of filaments having diverse characteristics. The composite group of filaments I0 is then fed to the pair of drawing rollers 3 and 4, which are driven at a greater peripheral speed than rollers l and 2. The relationship between the peripheral speeds of the rollers i and 2 and 3 and 4 are such that at least a portion of the continuous filaments forming a composite group I6 are ruptured, as will be hereinafter set forth in greater detail. It should be noted that the lengths of the resulting ruptured filaments are determined by the breaking point elongation of such filaments, the ratio of the peripheral speeds of the upper and intermediate drawing rollers and the distance between the upper and intermediate rollers. The composite bundle l1 which contains .the filaments which have been ruptured between the upper and intermediate sets of drawing rollers emerges from the intermediate set of drawing rollers and is fed to the lower set of drawing rollers 5 and 6. The lower set of drawing rollers is driven at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the peripheral speed of the drawing rollers l and 2 or at a slightly greater speed so that the continuous filaments remaining in the bundle I! are returned to the original unstrained condition as the bundle emerges from the lower set of rollers. The composite bundle is then led through the thread guide 8 and a traversing guide 9 and a suitable twist is imparted thereto, the resulting yarn being wound upon the con rotated by the spindle II.

Numerous types of improved yarns having novel appearances and combining the desirable features of a continuous filament yarn and a spun yarn may be achieved. For example, bundle i3 may consist of fifty continuous one denier filaments totalling in aggregate 50 denier, such filaments having a breaking point elongation of 8%. and bundle l4 may consist of forty 2 denier filaments totalling an aggregate 100 denier, such filaments having a breaking point elongation of The composite bundle is then I subjected to the elongation afiorded between the upper and intermediate drawing rollers, the peripheral speed of the intermediate set of rollers to that of the upper set of rollers being approxiis produced which combines the desirable features of a spun and a continuous filament yarn. The staple fibers contained in this yarn impart to it the fuzziness and bulkiness which is required of a spun yarn, whereas the continuous filaments which are contained in the yarn provide an elasticity which is generally lacking in spun yarns produced by the known tow-to-top" methods. It should here be noted that the length of the staple fibers is determined as above set forth and may range from a fraction of an inch to twelve or more inches in length.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, thecomposite bundle of filaments having different breaking point elongations, and, if desired, other diverse characteristics, may be formed at the time of the original spinning of the filaments. For example, viscose may be projected through two or more spinnerets or jet into a coagulation bath or spinbath. The viscose may be forced through the individual spinnerets at the same rate or at different rates through a common or individual pumps. The different breaking point characteristics may be imparted to the filaments by subjecting at least one set of filament to a controlled stretch effected between first and second godets or between a godet and the collecting device to produce a high tenacity low breaking point elongation filament according to well known methods. Another set of the filaments which is not so treated may be combined on the second godet with the low breaking point elongation filaments. The composite bundle may then be wound into a single cake or upon a single bobbin, suitably treated and thereafter stapilized and if desired twisted as described above. Numerous difierenttypes of yarns may be obtained by varying the number of jet openings, the viscose projecting rates, the

different godet speeds, immersion length in the spinning bath, stretch, friction, etc. v

Reference is now made to Fig. 2 of the drawing wherein 20 designates a spinbath trough through which may be circulated a coagulation bath or spinbath. Disposed along the spinbath trough 23 are a plurality of metering pumps 2| driven by a common shaft 22 through suitable gear trains. Each of the pumps 2| have their inlets connected to a source of viscose and have their outlets coupled by way of conduits 23 to multi-apertured spinneret 24, which are immersed in the coagulating bath circulating through the trough 20. Associated with each pair of spinnerets 24 are a lower driven godet 26 and an upper driven godet 21, the godets 26 and 21 being so proportioned and driven that the upper godet has a greater peripheral speed than the lower godet. There is also provided a plurality of drafting roller including a plurality of sets of feed rollers 30 and delivery rollers 33, delivery rollers 33 being driven at a greater peripheral speed than the feed rollers 30; the ratio of the peripheral a speeds of these rollers-being as set forth above. Associated with each set of drafting rollers is a suitable winding and twisting device which may be a ring spinning type as illustrated and which includes a suitable rotating spindle it which may receive a bobbin or cop on which the yarn is wound. A traverse mechanism carrying a ring traveler I6 is associated with each of the spindles 34, as is a stationary coaxially disposed thread guide I'I.

. In operation, viscose is extruded through the spinnerets 24 at metered rates which may be the same or difierent for each of thepairs of spinnerets 24, and may contain either the same number of filaments or different number of filaments each. Upon contacting the coagulating bath, the viscose coagulates to form a yarn, the resulting yarn from one of the spinnerets 24 being .withdrawn by the lower godet 2i and then bein engaged by the upper godet 21 so that a controlled stretch is effected on the yarn between the godets 26 and 21. Further, the yarn extruded by the other spinneret 24 extends directly to the upper godet i1 and is withdrawn whereby little or no stretch is being efiected subsequent to the coagulation of this yarn and while in a wet undegenerated state.

The two bundles of yarn which have been ex-' truded by each of the spinnerets 24 are combined on the godet 21 to form a single-bundle and may thereafter be processed either as a continuous running bundle or in package form. In either case the yarn may be washed, desulphurized, neutralized, finished and dried. It should be noted that the bundle 'of yarn is composed of filaments havin different breaking point elongations. This combined bundle of yarn is thereafter subjected to a draft between the feed and delivery rollers It and 83 sufficient to rupture only those filaments having the lower breaking point elongation which filament correspond to those withdrawn by the lower godet ll. The resulting drafted yarn is then suitably twisted and packaged upon the winding mechanism including the spindle 34.

A novel yarn may be produced by combining filaments having diverse dyeing characteristics or affinities, i. e., one of the bundles It or it may I be formed of a viscose rayon and *the other bundle may be formed of acetate rayon. The resulting yarn may then be subjected to a dyein stage which imparts to the different filaments or fibers different colors or shades, or may be ineffective as to one of the sets of filaments and may dye the other set.

It is not necessary that the two bundles I3 and M be formed of continuous filaments. A novel type of yarn may be achieved by combining a spun yarn with a bundle of continuous filaments which has substantially no twist. The

composite bundle is then subjected to the stapilizing action afforded between the upper and intermediate rollers and is thereafter twisted and wound. As an example, the bundle it may consist of a spun yarn having a twist of ten turns to the inch, and bundle It may consist of continuous filaments. The continuous filaments of the composite bundle is then stapilized as above set forth, and the final bundle twisted in direction of the original twist contained by the bundle it so that the resulting yarn has a core containing a high twist, i. e., a worsted twist and a sheath of less twist and hence greater bulk and mmness. This yarn is characterized by the strength of the high twist worsted and the i'uzziness and bulkiness of the ordinary spun yarn. For some applications it may be ,desirable to twist the composite stapilized bundle in a direction opposite to that of the twist of the bundle I whereby the sheath and core may be so related that their twists are in opposite directions, the sheath has a higher degree of twist than the core or the core possess substantially no twist.

It is obvious that numerous novel yarns may be obtained by the above described process. Such yarns may contain silk, rayon, nylon, wool,

cotton or any other natural or synthetic fiber. The core may be formed of one type of fiber or filament and the sheath of another type of fiber or filament, or both the core and the sheath may be formed of the same type of fiber or filament.

While I have described preferred embodiments 'of the present invention, it is obvious that numerous'omissions and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

1. The method of producing an improved synthetic yarn comprising the steps of" extruding two bundles of. continuous synthetic filaments,

subjecting one of said bundles of freshly extruded filaments to a stretch whereby to impart difierent breaking point elongations to the filaments form- 1 ing the different bundles, combining the said bundles and subjecting said composite bundle to a stretch sufilcient to rupture only the filaments having the lower breaking point elongation.

2. The method of producing an improved yarn comprising the steps of extruding viscose through apertures into a coagulation bath to form two bundles of continuous filaments, subjecting one of said bundles f freshly extruded filaments to a stretch where y to impart diil'erent breaking point elongations to the.,filaments forming the different bundles, combining said bundles and subjecting said composite bundle to a-stretch effected between a pair of drafting rolls having a draft suflicient to rupture only the filaments having the lower breaking point elongations. HENRY VON KOHORN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,262,872 Whitehead Nov. 18, 1941 

